Oct 2, 2023
Adriana Blachowicz may just have one of the MOST IMPORTANT JOBS on our planet… and perhaps one of the coolest! Adriana is a planetary protection scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory where she works to prevent microbial transfer between the Earth and other planets. So how can we protect as we explore? Why should we care about planetary protection? What are extremophiles? Can microbes live in an inhospitable environment? Does finding water really equate to finding life? In this episode, Adriana helps answer these questions, and shares some amazing insights on how she serves as a guard for our galaxy!
All About Adriana:
Dr. Adriana Blachowicz has a M.Sc. in Biotechnology
from Marie Curie Sklodowska University in Lublin, a PhD in
Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Southern California,
and an MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology. She has
pioneered research into fungal adaptive responses to the space
environment, utilizing a multiomic approach. She led a fungal test
campaign, sending experiments to the International Space Station
(ISS). As a Planetary Protection Scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, her responsibility lies in preventing microbial
contamination from Earth to other celestial bodies and vice versa,
especially those with conditions to potentially sustain life. At
JPL, she is also involved in mission formulation. Recently, she
joined the space startup, Star Harbor, as their Chief Scientist,
developing and executing their R&D architecture to make running
experiments in orbit or on parabolic flights more affordable for
customers.
She took part as a Chief Scientist in the Hawaii Space Exploration
Analog and Simulation (HI–SEAS) program, replicating Mars-like
operations and activities. During the mission, she tested an
automated platform designed for in situ DNA extraction aboard the
ISS, assessing its flight readiness level. This experience led Dr.
Blachowicz to become the Science Team lead for the World’s Biggest
Analog (WBA) - a global collaboration of researchers, educators,
and entrepreneurs aiming to address the challenges of space living
and working. She also mentored at the Launching Space Biology
workshop, fostering a generation of scientists, students, and
early-career researchers in the interdisciplinary field of space
biology. Dr. Blachowicz is dedicated to promoting scientific
awareness and education, often participating in conferences and
public speaking events. In her leisure time, she is learning
Spanish and Italian.
More about JPL and Planetary Protection:
https://planetaryprotection.jpl.nasa.gov/microbe-01
Learn more about Star Harbor here: https://starharboracademy.com/
Find more information about the World’s Biggest Analog: https://www.worldsbiggestanalog.com/
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